Kristi & Tim Kabeary

Kristi and Tim will always be on of my favorite weddings!  They were gorgeous clients on the inside and out!  Enjoy their stunning wedding! 

The Truth About Weddings!

I found this wonderful graphic on Pintrest today! I thought it was a great visual about budget saving tips when planning your wedding! The time of year, and even day make a huge difference in the amount of money you spend! Check it out!

Your engaged!!! NOW WHAT!

It is that time of year when the reality of planning your wedding may be hitting you like a ton of bricks!  The high of you holiday proposal has mellowed and with the days turn into weeks, and weeks into months your realize that "OH SHOOT!" it February, and I need to get started! Here are the first 8 thing you need to do this month for your wedding!

1. Hire a professional wedding planner -
Yes, this may seem like a shameless plug for my or another planners services, but it really is beneficial!  Wedding planners are trained professionals who have been through exactly what you are experiencing many, many times!    We have the knowledge, TIME, and expertise to save you time, money and stress of starting from square one.  Statistically it takes up to 300 hours to plan a wedding, based on my experience with a wedding planner you can divide that number by 5.  That gives you 240 hours back!  Also, you won't make the first timer mistakes that can be costly on your budget and morale!

1.a. Set your budget -
This is an important step that will effect the rest of your planning!  Every decision you make effects you bottom line, so it's important to know what that line is!

2. Define your wedding vision-
Your wedding planner can really help you with this!  You don't have to set it in stone; it can be a work in progress, but it is important to set you and your fiances' priorities before starting.  You should know what size, style and personality of wedding you want.  Do you want an out door, barn, elegant modern, whimsical tent, destination, etc.  Will it be for 20 people or 400.  Are there certain family or traditional obligations you need to consider?  All these decisions will dictate the direction you go!

3. Find your venue(s) -
Once you have your ceremony & reception venues secured you can set the date and start planning!  Later in the month I will give the key question to ask when venue shopping so keep your eyes out for it!

4.  Compile your guest list and collect addresses -
There are many mailings that go out prior to your wedding invitation, so having your guest list with addresses in one place is really helpful.  The first of those mailings is the save the date!  You will want to send out your save the date at least 6 months in advance

5. Choose Attendants
Invite those closest to you to stand by your side on the most important and joyful days of your life!  They are also a wonderful support system through the whole planning process!

6. Start Wedding Dress Shopping -
This might be a long or speedy process!  It is critical that you find the perfect dress!  Take your time (if you have it) savor the experience and have fun!  You get to do this once (and after a few years will forever long to do it again)!  You do want to order your dress 6 months out from you wedding date.

7.  Vendor Selection -
Start researching, meeting with, and hiring your vendors!  You have a long list of people to find and hire so get to it!  You will want to select 1 of each of these:

• Wedding Planner
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Officiant
• Caterer
• Bartender/staff - if needed
• Cake/Pastry 
• Florist
• Ceremony Music
• DJ/Band
• Rental Company
• Transportation

8. Start attending wedding shows -
This is for fun with the potential to lead to wonderful vendors!  They are all gathered in one place waiting to meet you!  Don't get overwhelmed and this you need to go to them all, or need to hire all your vendors at one show!  Attending 1 or 2 that fit your schedule is a right of passage!  It should be fun!  (If you have a planner working with you for the whole planning process, there is no pressure to select vendors.  You can go for the fashion shows, cake tasting, and pure enjoyment!)


Okay, now you know what you need to do for the next month!  Go to it!  If this blog post overwhelmed you and made your head want to explode, then give me a call or shoot me an email!  I can help!  I'm here for you!

Postage Increase

*POSTAGE INCREASE HAPPENING AGAIN SUNDAY 1.26.14*

The blog post below is from March 2009 and has been updated with the newest info about the date and increase of postage!  Please take note!

It's important for all of you planning on sending out invitations to your guest for your spring/summer wedding, to note, that the price of postage is going up on Sunday 1.26.14 from $0.46 to $0.49. You can combat this price increase by buying forever stamps at the $0.46 price. These "forever" stamps will work no matter how high the cost of postage gets. I recommend buying far more than you need so you can use them on your RSVP envelopes or postcards and thank you notes too! With the Forever stamp you won't have to worry about not receiving an RSVP due to inadequate postage. Saving money and stress anywhere you can adds up to a lot of savings!

Get Hitched Give Hope - Hope Chest!!!

Recently married? Full up on stuff? This goes for you, vendors, and you, brides and grooms! Do you have perfectly good wedding decor, DIY projects, or leftover supplies that are piling up and collecting dust?

 DONATE TO HOPE CHEST WEDDING RUMMAGE SALE!!



 During the Hope Chest Drop-Off Event, we will be collecting new and gently used wedding items. Gowns – Veils – Apparel – Accessories – DIY Decor – Signage – Paper Goods – Centerpieces – Props – Antiques/Vintage – Napkins/Linens – Favors — Vases – Sparklers – Candles. You name it, we want it.

 THE DROP-OFF EVENT IS AT PUBLIC STORAGE SOUTH LAKE UNION 700 FAIRVIEW AVE N, SEATTLE, WA
 DAY ONE :: 01.31.2014 FROM 3PM TO 8PM
 DAY TWO :: 02.01.2014 FROM 9AM-2PM

 Your items will go up for sale at the Hope Chest rummage sale on Feb 23, 2014, where happy couples will pick up some great pre-loved stuff for their wedding while saving serious coin. It’s fabulous for your closets, lovely for their wallets, good for the environment, and great for our hearts because it’s all for charity. Proceeds will benefit Dream Foundation, to grant wishes to those given a terminal diagnosis, and Young Survival Coalition, to provide support to young women with breast cancer. Please RSVP for the Hope Chest Drop-Off Event on Facebook.

 Want to donate, but can’t make it? Email :: donate@gethitchedgivehope.com Check out this spot on KOMO news about Hope Chest! Blog post from Get Hitched Give Hope's website

Weddings in Woodinville, Wedding Show Tips

The below post is from the Weddings in Woodinville Blog. I't is a wonderful event! I'm participating at Willows Lodge this year. Please come by and see me!

 Weddings in Woodinville attendee tips
SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2014 AT 6:01AM 

We are so excited! The tour is just a week away and we can not wait for you to come Eat. Drink. and Plan Your Wedding! with us.

 Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of our show & what you can expect:

 ▪ Check-in begins at 11:30am. If possible, try to arrive with your entire party so that you can be transported together. ▪ Dress for the Northwest! Please plan on experiencing all the seasons during the tour. Many of the venues have outdoor spaces decorated for you to experience the entire venue and although they all offer covering and heaters (thanks to our fantastic rental companies who know how to plan for our wet & cold weather better than anyone) it still can get cold. Please bring a jacket, scarf and walking shoes that can hold up to the many surfaces you’ll experience between the venues that range from loose gravel to paved concrete.

 ▪ Transportation is designed to take you to each venue during the 4+ hour tour so there is no need to create a list of who to see as our tour is designed to give you ample time at each venue to meet & greet all the vendors. ▪ Be sure to take a program at registration. Each venue will offer their own program that will highlight the vendors you will see at that location but the main program is a fantastic reference guide for future use that lists the 100 vendors who participated in the show. ▪ Please bring your ID. The tour is a wedding show that is also a wine tour as it features over 20 wines from Woodinville Wine Country. Redhook Brewer will also be served at Novelty Hill-Januik Winery. Since we do serve alcohol at each location, this is a 21 or older event. Wine will also be available to purchase at each winery if you can’t leave without getting a bottle (or 2) for later. ▪ Every vendor in our show offers a product or service that directly relates to your wedding day. There are no unrelated companies. ▪ Bring already printed out labels with your name, email and wedding date to hand to vendors who you would like more information on. Weddings in Woodinville does not sell or distribute your contact information to anyone.

 ▪ You will not be hungry after this tour! Each venue will have a full-range of appetizers, passed bites and sweets for you to munch on. Between the 6 venues we have over a dozen caterers sampling their savory to sweet bites. ▪ Be sure to pick up your complimentary Banquet & Event Wedding Resource Guide. This book isn’t called the “bridal bible” for nothing! ▪ Parking is FREE! There is plenty of free parking available at Woodhouse Wine Estates and Butler Valet will be on hand to help direct you to the perfect spot. ▪ Budget your time at each venue, as all transportation will return to Woodhouse Wine Estates by 5pm when the show is over if you've visited all venues are not. We suggest leaving yourself around 30 minutes at each venue to allow plenty of time to see each location.

SUPERBOWL BOUND!!!!